Creative Burst of Energy with Lizzie!

 In Part 1 of "Advice to my Younger Self " I shared advice I would have given to my younger self, if such a thing were possible. In Part 2 of "Advice to my Younger Self" I will share answers from others, in response to the question, "What bit of advice would you give to your younger self?" I asked many people, younger and older, male and female, what advice they would give to their younger selves. The following, in random order, is an anonymous compilation of replies. Some have been slightly edited for brevity and clarity. Thank you to everyone who shared their bits of advice with me. ·          Stand up straight. ·          I would tell my younger self to hold off on committing to someone else as a life partner until I'm sure I've fulfilled a commitment to loving and discovering myself - to know what I want, be fearless in reaching for it, and strong enough to say no to what feels like someone...

ADVICE TO MY YOUNGER SELF Sometimes I wonder, if i were my own big sister, and I could offer one morsel of advice to my younger self (assuming my younger self would listen to her big-sister-self), what would I want to tell myself? To my very shy and self-conscious little kid self, I would say, “Don’t worry so much about what other people think about you. What they think about you doesn’t really matter. Just have fun being you.” I would tell my kid and teen self, “It’s okay to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. No one is going to think you’re stupid if you make a mistake or if you give the wrong answer. And if they do, then so what, you can be still proud of yourself that you tried.” Apparently my young-adult self needed a lot of advice, because I couldn’t settle on just one thing I should have known. So here are three things I would want to tell my young-adult self: “Do what you know you need to do. Be proactive. Don’t keep waiting for things to change on their own. You know what ...

 Springtime fern frond unfurling. Photo by L Bowen 2022 "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." -Charles Dederich Fresh A fresh start Clean, undamaged, unspoiled A new perspective Explore new ideas Great potential The possibilities are endless Wonder Live, learn, be curious, observe, listen Where to go from here? Only time will tell. Tomorrow is a new day. Enjoy your journey.

In honor of national poetry month, a poem about pollen. Yellow swirly Powdery dust Blowing in the wind Art in the puddles Today the world looks yellow. Great Blue Heron Perched Large bird on tiny branch Awkward or majestic?  

 Many people write about finding meaning, creating goals, feeling motivated. I have written about these things as well. Sometimes I feel extremely motivated to meet my goals, and I find meaning everywhere, and if I can't find meaning, I create meaning. Everything must have a purpose! There's always a goal to conquer. But... what if I want to take a vacation from meaning, and purpose, and creativity? What about those days where I simply feel lazy? I find that even when I feel completely unmotivated, and there seems to be no purpose to anything, there's still a remote corner of my brain that's still looking for something. It's the part that makes excuses for why I'm not a constant powerhouse of activity. It's the part that says, "I want to do that thing, but..." For example, "I want to go out for a walk, but it's too hot/cold/windy." "I wish I had the motivation to learn how to play the guitar." "I have yard work to do, b...

  Nature offers us many chances for renewal.  Ocean waves refresh the beach with each incoming tide. Winter becomes spring. Spring becomes summer. Summer becomes fall. Fall becomes winter. The rain falls, the sun shines. The Earth rotates. Today is a new day. A fresh start. What will you do with each new day?

  “Always say “yes” to the present moment. What could be more futile, more insane, than to create inner resistance to what already is? what could be more insane than to oppose life itself, which is now and always now? Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life — and see how life suddenly starts working for you rather than against you.” ―  Eckhart Tolle